The present disclosure relates generally to an improved ceiling fan assembly including lightweight, replaceable fabric ceiling fan blades.
Ceiling fans have relatively large blades, typically ranging from 36 to 52 inches, and usually ranging in number from three to five, all depending on the model of ceiling fan and motor. Each of the blades has a relatively flat cross-section that is angled relative to horizontal so that rotation in one direction will draw air downwardly and rotation in the other direction will draw air upwardly. Each of the blades is connected to the shaft of a fan motor via a connection member that connects with the inboard end of a blade and has an arm that connects with the shaft. Typically, ceiling fan blades are constructed of wood, but many are also constructed of other materials, including one or more polymeric materials.
It is known in the art that a ceiling fan can be customized by replacing each blade with another blade having a different color or design. Several companies also offer products that allow the user to further “decorate” ceiling fan blades in order to match a particular room decor. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,264 describes a ceiling fan slipcover that consists of a fitted case for each blade that has a selected color, pattern, or 18 design. Although this provides for the customization of ceiling fan blades, it has many drawbacks. First, it requires one slip cover for each blade. This not only increases the manufacturing costs for covering the several blades on each fan, but also decreases the performance and speed of the fan due to the additional weight on each blade. Second, the centrifugal forces created by the motion of the fan constantly acts to remove the slipcovers, thus requiring significant retaining measures to abate the risk of imbalancing the fan due to loss of a slipcover.
What is needed is a ceiling fan blade that provides the customization advantages of the prior art, while overcoming the prior art's shortcomings.